Governor for steam-engines



(Ho'Model.)

= i OEEZNOE.

GOVEENOE EOE STEAM ENGINES. No. 257,069. ""Illllll" PatentedApr.25,1882.V

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d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE REZNOR, OF MERCER, PENNSYLVANIA.

GOVERNOR FORv STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 257,069, dated April25, 1882.

I Application filed September 3, 1881. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE REZNOR, of Mercer, in thecounty of Mercer andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inGovernors for Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of' thesame, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specitcation,.in whichthe ligure represents a central vertical section of the steam-'chest ot'a reci procating engine with my improved governor secured thereto.

Myinvention relates to improvements in govcrnors for steam-engines 5 andit consists in an ordinary double-seated valve, the stem of which isextended somewhat belowv said-valves, and is .provided with a pistonnear its lower end, the lower part of the shell or outer bodybeingshaped in a cylindrical form 'around said piston, the space betweenthem being` ample for a free passage of steam, thelower` opening in saidbody being immediately attached to the valvechamber of anyreciprocatingengine, as shown in the accompanying drawing, wherebyuseful and novel results never heretofore fully accomplished areobtained, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the outer shell or body.

B is a hollow inward projection of the body,

in which are two circular openings, C C, of`

equal diameter.

D D represent two circular valves having nearly the same diameter as `CC.

E is a stem connecting valves D D, and-cxtending somewhat below, towhich extension is attached a piston, F, of circularv form, and.

on the lower end of stem vE a shoulder, X, is formed, that part of thestem passingthrough the guide-bar E being smaller than that above,

forming a stop to prevent the valves D D from` passing below theopenings.. C C.

G is a continuation ofthe outer shell, A, of cylindrical form. f

H is a guide-bar for valvesten1 E.

I is a continuation of the valve-stem E, securedv by ball or other loosejoint at K, having an eye in its upper end, and extending upward`through a central orifice in the yplug N Mis a uut threaded centrallyinto the upper end ofplug N, having a central oritce, through which stemI passes loosely.

L is a cylindrical washer, with a central oritice ground steam-tightaround the stem I, also havingits upper t'ace ground, forming asteamjoiut with the lower face ot' nut M.

Nis a plug threaded into the upper` part of the shell A. I

O O are-standards secured to the plug N.

P is a cross-bar connecting standards 0 O, havinga central hub, Q,extending upward, through which set-screw R, with an eye in itslower-end, is threaded.

S is a lock-nut, through which vset-screw R is threaded.

l is a coiled spring, attached at its lower end tostem I and at itsupper end to set-screw B.

U is the opening for steam service.

V is the steam-outlet, being attached directly to an opening in thevalve-chamber ot` an engine.

W W Wis a space sufficient for the freepassage of steam between theshell A and the inward hollow projection, B, surrounding theprojection Bon all sides, except toward the opening U, and opening directly into thecylinder G.

The voperation of my improved governor 1s as follows: Steam is admittedat U by means.

of the ordinary service-pipe, having connected with it a common stopcock at any convenient W -W W, the cylinder around the piston F, and t'the 4valve-chamber of the engine. ports leading from the valve-chamberinto the cylinder oftheenginebeingnow open, steam enters thecylinderbehind the piston and drives One of the it forward, whichmovement causes a rapid currentot' steam through the cylinder G, car--ryin g the piston Fdownward byits momentum, andclosing the valves D D. yThe closing of the valves D D, and also the-closing of the cylinder-portof the engine, stops thegrush of steam through the cylinder G, andconsequently I relieves the piston F. The spring T, assisted by thepressure of the steam on the lower end of the valve-stem, again opensthe valves'D D instantly, the length of time or the extent oftheopening(since the engine is now in motion) being controlled by themovement of the engine-piston. As soon as enough steam has passed thevalvesD D to move the piston at a given speed it will again have closedthe valves, as before, which operation is repeated at every stroke. Thefunctions of nut M and cylindrical washer L are to form a stuffing-boxol steam-joint around stem I. The nut M being secured into the plug Nsteam-tight, a chamber is formed below said nut somewhat larger than thewasher L, so that the washer will not be connned laterally, but willcoliform to the direction of the stern I, thus forming a steam-tightstuffing-box around the stem having but little friction, and hence thegovernor is not affected, as is usual with the ordinary stuffing-box.

The operation of the governor under varying supply or boiler-pressure,and with varying force or power required of the engine, is as follows:First, the varying of pressure at U,

or the rising and falling of boiler-pressure,

as commonly expressed, has no effect upon the governor or the motion ofthe engine, for the following reasons: Valves D D, being of exactly thesame size, present an equal amount of surface to both upward anddownward pressure, and consequently it is perfectly balanced,

' so far as affected by the steam, before passing the valves D D.Consequently it has no effect, as above stated, unless the pressure ofsteam or boiler-pressure should. fall below that required to drive theengine at the usual speed; but itv mayrise to the limit of the strengthof the generator without affecting the motion of theengine. Second, thevarying of4 the load upon the engine affects the governor as follows:For instance, the engi-neis running light,

' or without load, and a belt is suddenly shifted onto some machineryrequiring more or less additional power to run it and the engine at thesame rate of speed. Instantly that check or additional resistance isfelt upon the-piston of the engine, having a tendency to check itsmotion, and thus increasing the pressure of steam behind it, which isinstantly communicated back through the ports of the cylinder to thegovernor, increasing the upward pressf' ure upon the area of the stem Iand lifting the valves higher than before,immediately and exactlysupplying the necessary volume of steam to keep the engine at the usualspeed. Again, suppose the belt to be suddenly or otherwise thrown off.The result is an instantaneous relief or falling of the pressure drivingthe engine-piston, caused by the attempt of the piston to spring awayfrom the heavy force behind it; but this falling of pressure is alsoinstantly communicated through the ports and valve-chamber to thegovernor, causing an instant decrease of pressure on the area of thestem I, which,in conjunction with the attempted rush of steam upon thepiston F, caused by the steam attempting to follow the engine-piston asit attempts to spring away, instantly lowers the valves D D, and theengine is held at its usual speed.

High and low or varying boiler-pressure, so called, has no eect upon thegovernor, so far as the volume of steam passing through the valves isconcerned; but, as a result of high pressure, the upward stroke of thevalves D D is short, and the reverse with low pressure, for thefollowing reasons, which have been hereinbefore partially set forth: Theliftingpower of the steam, after passing the valves D D,beinglimited andcontrolled bythe spring T andthe motion of the engine-piston,ittherefore follows that when valves D D have opened and passedsufficientsteam to produce the hereinbefore-stated limited result theywill immediately be closed by the effect of the steam on the piston F inpassing.

The advantages of this construction are- First. The motion of theengineis fully coutrolled and regulated, regardless of the rise and fallof so-called boiler-pressure.

Second. The varying of the load upon the engine does not change thespeed, being controlled by the steam, and not by the motion of the engine. v

Third. It can be quickly and easily adj usted to any desired speed whilethe engine is in motion, controlling the engine eqnallywell at any pointbetween high and low speed. Fourth. It is extremely simple, durable, andcheap.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a reciprocating steam-engine and a valve-chamber, A, provided with the interior chamber, B,having valveseats C, and connected with the steam-chest and boiler ofsaid engine, of a valve-stem, E,

provided with double valves D, and a piston, v'

F, with a wide intervening space between said piston and the inner wallot' the valve-chamber, whereby whenthe steam is admitted into thecylinder of the engine the double valves will be closed by the momentumof the steam upon the piston, substantially as described. Y 2. Thecombination, with a reciprocating steam-engine and a valve-chamber, A,provided with valve-seats C, and connected with' the steam-chest andboiler of said engine,'of the valve-stem E,havin g the stem I projectinginto the atmosphere, and provided with the doublejvalves D, and apiston, F, with an intervening space between said piston and the innerwall of the valve-chamber, and spring T, L

whereb when the steam is admitted into the cylinder of the engine thedouble valves will f be closed by the momentum of the steam upon thepiston, and when the steam is cut 0E from the cylinder the valves willbe opened by the spring, substantially as described.

3.1The combination, with a 'reciprocating steam-engine and avalve-chamber,'A, connected with the steanloliest and boiler of said nutM, and reciprocating washer L,cl1ambered :o engine, of the valve-seats CC, valve-stem E, into plugN, and having its upper face ground providedwith the valves D D, and piston F, to form a. steam-tigbtjoint with thelower face stem I, set-screw R, and spring T, secured at of the nut M,substantially as described, and its lower end to the upper end of thestem I, for the purpose set forth.

and attached at its upper end tothe lower end GEORGE REZNOR. of thesetscrew, substantially as described, Witnesses: and for the purpose setforth. SOLON C. KEMON,

4. The combination of the stem I, plug N, GHAS. A. PETTIT.

